Baby-carriage



(No Model.) `2 Sheets-Sheet 1.- W. E. WILLIS.

BABY CARRIAGE.

Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

WITNESS/ss (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. E. WILLIS. BABY CARRIAGE.

No. 579,528. Patented Mar. 23,1891

" /NVEN Ton Wl T'NESSES IO parts wherever found throughout the severalhinged sides, which also collapse or fold in- 4space in storing andtransporting the same.

llNiTnIi STATES FATnNT Ormea.

VILLIAM E. VILLIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

BABY-CARRIAG E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,528, dated March23, 1897.

Application led July 16, 1896. Serial No. 599,437. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. WILLIs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBaby-Oarriages, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in whichsimilar numerals of reference indicate corresponding views.

This invention relates to baby-carriages; and the object thereof is toprovide an improved carriage of this class the body of which is providedwith detachable front and back ends or portions and the sides of whichare adapted to fold inwardly one over the other on the bottom of thebody independent of the running-gear, a further object being to providea running-gear consisting of separate dependent of the body or handles,whereby the entire carriage may be folded together into a compact spacein order to econoinize The invention is fully disclosed in the followingspecification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which-Figure 1 is a side vie w of my improved babycarriage; Fig. 2, a frontend View thereof with a part of the detachable front end of the bodyportion broken away and also a part of the bottom portion of the body,and Fig. 3 a sectional detail of said construction on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2.

In the practice of my invention I provide a body for a baby-carriage,consisting of a main frame 5, which consists of side-bars G, which areconnected at their ends by crossbars 7, and said side-bars 6 areprovided near each end with brackets or yokes 8, which are securedthereto and with which are connected upwardly-curved transverseplateesprings 9, the connection of said springs with the yokes orbrackets being made by loops or rings formed in the ends of the springs.The bodyportion of the carriage comprises a bottom 10, which consists ofside-bars 11, end bars 12, which are secured thereto in any desiredmanner, and a central board or frame 13, which is countersunk in thesides and ends, as shown at 14, and the end bars l2 are mountedcentrally on the springs 9 and secured thereto in any desired manner, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The sidebars 11 of the bottom portion of the body are provided withupwardly-directed side plates 15, which form part of the body, and oneof which is higher than the other, as shown at 16, and hinged thereto at17 are the sides 18 of the body, which are ofthe form shown in Fig. 1,the ends thereof being inclined outwardly and upwardly at each end, andsaid sides are each provided with end bars 19, to which are securedplates 20, in which are formed slots or openings 21, which are largestat their upper ends, as shown at 22, and the removable front and rearends 23 and 24, respectively, are also provided with plates 25, havingheaded lugs or projections 2G formed thereon, the heads of which areadapted to be inserted-into the enlarged portion 22 of the slots 2O andthen drop downwardly, so that said lugs or projections will lock theends to the sides, andv said ends are also provided with bolts 27, whichare formed on plates 23, which are secured thereto, and said bolts areadapted to enter sockets or openings 29, formed in the end bars 12 ofthe bottom portion of the body, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 andin full lines in Fig. 2, and the method of connecting the detachableends with the sides of the body is best shown in Fig. 3.

The seat 30 is also provided near each end with a hinged support or leg31, and these legs orsupports are adapted to be folded inwardly, andsaid seat may be removed from the bottom of the body whenever desiredand the legs or supports thereof folded, so as to facilitate the packingand shipping thereof, and the handle consists of two outwardly andupwardly curved arms 32, which are connected with the side-bars 6 of themain frame by being passed through loops or keepers 33, with which theyare detachably connected in any desired manner, and the upper ends ofsaid arms 32 are connected by a cross-rod 34, having end knobs or heads35, and the lower ends of the arms 32, where they pass through the loops.or keepers 33,'are angular in form, so as to prevent the turningthereof, and the upper ends thereof areinwardly curved orcontracted, asshown in Fig. 2.

The running-gear consists of two wheels on each side, which areconnected by upwardly* curved braces 35, two of which are employed inconnection with each set of wheels on each side, and the shafts or axles3G of the wheels are passed through the lower ends of these arms orbraces, and said arms or braces are connected at the central upperportion by blocks 37, to which they are bolted or otherwise secured, andsecured to the under side of the side-bars G of the main frame andcentrally thereof are corresponding blocks 38, and the blocks 37 arehinged to the blocks 3S, as shown at 39, and are adapted to foldinwardly, and the block 38 on one side is thicker than the block 38 onthe other, and the block 37 on one side is thicker than the block 37 onthe other, and by reason of this arrangement the separate side frames,consisting of the curved braces or arms 35 and the wheels mountedtherein, may be folded inwardly adjacent to the main frame 5 and restthereon and in parallel positions.

The lower ends of the inner braces or arms 35 are each provided withinwardly and npwardly directed hooks 40, which are secured to or formedon plates 4l, which are bolted or screwed to said arms or braces, and lalso provide a central brace 42, which consists of two rods connected atthe center, as shown at 43, and which extends diagonally across from therear wheel on one side to the front wheel on the other and which areprovided at their ends with openings through which the hooks 40 pass,and secured-above each hook is a pivoted dog 44, which is adapted to beturned downwardly and -to bear upon the ends of the rods of which thecentral brace is composed, so as to hold the saine in position. Thiscentral crossebrace may be removed whenever desired by turning the dogs44 upwardly, and the object in forming one of the side plates or barsl5, to which the sides of the body portion are hinged, higher than theother is to provide means for folding said sides inwardly over thebottom, so that one will rest upon or over the other and in positionsparallel with said bottom. 1

It will thus be seen that by detaching the central cross-brace 42 theseparate sides of the runninggear, including the wheels on each side,may be folded inwardly adjacent to the main frame 5 and at the lowerside thereof, and that the front and back portions of the body may bedetached and the sides thereof folded together over the bottom thereofin the same manner, and said ends may then be placed thereon, and thehandle, consisting of the parts 32 and 34, may also be detached from themain frame, and the crossrod 34 may be detached from the side arms 32,and the entire carriage may be then folded into a compact form, so as tooccupy but very little space.

It is evident that changes in and modifications of the constructionherein described may be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention or sacrificing its advantages, and I reserve the right to makeall such alterations therein as fairly come within the scope of theinvention.

Having fully described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. A baby-ca-rriage consisting of a main frame, a bodysuspended thereover, by means of springs, said body consisting ofdetachable front and rear ends, and hinged sides which are adapted to befolded inwardly, and the main frame being also provided at each sidewith hinged side frames in which the wheels are mounted, which are alsoadapted to be folded inwardly, said hinged side frames being alsoprovided with a detachable center cross-brace, by which they are held inposition for use, substantially as shown and described.

2. A baby carriage comprising a main frame, a body suspended thereover,by means of springs, and composed of a bottom portion, sides hingedthereto, one of said sides being hinged at a point higher than theother, detachable end pieces which are adapted to be connected with saidsides, and the bottom of the body, and said main frame being alsoprovided at each side with blocks which are secured thereto, centrallythereof, and other blocks which are hinged thereto, one of which ishinged lower than the other, and said lastnamed blocks being providedwith curved side arms or braces, between which the wheels are mounted,and a detachable center cross-brace which is adapted to be connectedwith the lower ends of the inner curved side arms or braces,substantially as shown and described.

3. A baby -carriage comprising a main frame, a body suspended thereover,by means of springs, and composed of a bottom portion, sides hingedthereto, one of said sides being hinged at apoint higher than the other,detachable end pieces which are adapted to be connected with said sides,and the bottom of the body, and said main frame being also provided ateach side with blocks which are secured thereto, centrally thereof, andother blocks which are hinged thereto, one of which is hingedlower thanthe other, and said lastnamed blocks being provided with curved i sidearms or braces, between which the wheels are mounted, and a detachablecenter crossbrace which is adapted to be connected with the lower endsof the inn'ercurved side arms or braces, and said body being alsoprovided with a detachable seat which is provided with legs or supportswhich are hinged thereto, substantially as shown and described.

4. A baby-carriage comprising a main frame, a body suspended thereover,by means of springs, and composed of a bottom portion, sides hingedthereto, one of said lsides being .hinged at a point higher than theother, de-

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taohable end pieces which are adapted to be connected With said sides,and the bott-om of the body, and said main frame being also provided ateach side With blocks which are secured thereto, centrally thereof, andother blocks which are hinged thereto, one of which and With a handlewhich consists of upwardly and outwardly Curved side arms which aredetaohably connected with one end of the main frame7 and the upper endsof which are connected by a Cross-rod, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony` that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signedmy nam e, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 10th day ofJuly, 1896.

WILLIAM E. WILLIS.

Witnesses:

WV. W. HILL, CHARLES S. ROGERS.

